Hair-fastener.



Patented Jan. 29, 1901.

I F. H. BUZZACOTT.

HAlR FASTENER.

(Applicatiomfiled Apr. 23, 1900.)

2 Sheets$heet 2.

(No Model.)

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FRANCIS H. BUZZAGOTT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HAIR-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 666,860, dated January 29, 1901. Application filed April 23, 1900. Serial No. 13,949. (No model.)

To ctZZ whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. BUZZACOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hair-Clasps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in hair-clasps for confining the ends of braids.

My objects are, first, to provide a hair-holding device for fastening the ends of braids, of novel and improved construction, which may be readily applied and removed and operate when in place as an effective means for its purpose, secure against accidental removal; second, to provide the hair-holding device with novel means for securing thereto a bow of ribbon, and, third, to provide a construction which will adjust itself to a braid of any size and will be free from the danger of becoming entangled with the hair or causing injury thereto.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows my improved holder or clasp applied to a braid of hair. Fig. 2 shows the reverse side of the clasp applied. Fig. 3 illustrates, by an enlarged and exaggerated View, the manner of applying the clasp. Fig. 4 illustrates, also by an enlarged and exaggerated view, the Way the spring when released and contracted engages the hair to prevent its slipping or turning upon the braid; Fig. 5, a view of the clasp or holder open, the head of one of the clasp members being in section; Fig. 6, a longitudinal section of the clasp; Fig. 7, a view showing the device in its closed or applied form, with the clasp members in engagement; and Fig. 8, a section on line 8 of Fig. 7 viewed in the direction of the arrow.

A is my improved hair-clasp, comprising a head portion a, carrying a clasp mem ber a, and a helical spring 0, carrying a clasp member b. The clasp member I) forms an eye I), and the clasp member a, is a hook with which the eye I) may be engaged, as illustrated in Fig. 7. The head portion a is preferably in two parts, a being the inner part or base, which carries the hook a and to which the spring 0 is attached. The other part a forms a face-plate, either rigidly fastened to the part a or hinged thereto at a and provided with a snap a to engage the part a when closed. The head portion a is intended to be used as a holder for a bow of ribbon or the like B, and for greater security in bolding the bow a short pin d may be provided on the part a or (1 preferably the former, as shown in the figures. It is not necessary that the parts a a shall be hinged together, and they may, if desired,-form a rigid loop, through which the ribbon may be passed back and forth while forming the bow. I prefer, however, to hinge the parts together, as shown, and to provide the pin (1 to prevent the ribbons slipping out.

The device is passed around a braid C, so that the hair of the braid will intermesh with and-be clamped by the coils of the helical spring 0. The spring may be stretched for this purpose and then contracted, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. When turned around the braid, the clasp members are hooked together to hold the device firmly in place.

I have found in practice that if a helical spring alone is employed the hair of the braid is apt to become twisted and caught in the coils in such a way that in the removal of the device hairs are broken and injured. The reason for this is because the hair enters so far into the spring that unless care is used in removing the device the result mentioned will occur. I overcome this difficulty by providing a flexible connecting-piece e between the clasp members within the helical spring. This connecting-piece may be a piece of cord or the like, somewhat longer than the spring itself, or it may be a length of elastic material. If a cord or the like, it will limit the length to which the spring may be stretched, and thus prevent such overstretching of the spring as to injure the latter. If a strip of elastic material is used, it will strengthen the spring and also serve when the spring is released to return the latter to its normal condition. When the device is applied to the hair, the hair can enter between the coils of the spring only as far as the strip e, producing intermeshing engagement sufficient to hold the device with necessary security against slipping off or turning upon the braid. The face-plate a of the clasp member at may be plain or ornamental.

I do not limit my invention to the exact construction of the clasp members shown, as

they may be "ariously changed in the matter of details of construction Without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by the claims.

The face-plate a of the clasp member a is bent to a concavo-convex form, the concave surface being on the inner side. An advantage of this construction lies in the fact that it will tend to maintain the bow open, while a flat inner surface would permit the loops and ends of the bow on opposite sides to more readily curl outward to disfigure the how. The curved surface, furthermore, when the pin d is not employed operates to hold the bow more firmly than would be the case with a flat surface.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A hair-clasp comprising a head portion formed with a loop to receive and retain a ribbon bow, a clasp member connected with said loop, a helical spring connected at one end with said loop, a companion clasp member connected with the other end of said spring and serving to engage the first-named clasp member, and a flexible independent connection between said loop and the clasp member at the other extremity of the coil and contained within and serving to prevent injurious extension of the coil and to prevent the hair from passing too far within the coil, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a hair-clasp, the combination of a head portion, having an enlarged outer face- 

